Submitted to the U.S. Patent Office concurrently herewith is an application entitled "Self-Retaining Ratcheting Wrench" Ser. No. 351,253, filed Apr. 16, 1973, now Pat. No. 3,875,828. The present invention is an extension of and further application of the principles set forth in the above-identified copending application and includes concepts, arrangements, usages and configurations not disclosed in the above-identified copending application. In the copending application there is provided a wrench for engaging hexagonal members. The present invention is directed towards the concept of a wrench having at one end of a handle means for engaging a hexagonal member in a relationship wherein the hexagonal member may be rotated in either direction and in which the wrench ratchets upon the hexagonal member.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved wrench for rotating hexagonal members.
More particularly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved wrench for hexagonal members, including means for the ratchet rotation of a hexagonal member in either direction without the necessity of turning the wrench over or otherwise disengaging it from the hexagonal member being rotated.
Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench for the ratchet rotation of hexagonal members in which the wrench may be employed to rotate, at the same end thereof, and without adjustable components, two hexagonal members of different dimensions.
Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench for the ratchet rotation of two different size hexagonal members in either direction by the use of the wrench without turning the wrench over and without disengaging the wrench from the hexagonal member being rotated.
Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench for the ratchet rotation of hexagonal members including means for the ratcheting rotation of four different size hexagonal members.
Another object of this invention is to provide a ratcheting wrench for hexagonal members including improved means for increasing the wear resistance of the wrench.
Another object of this invention is to provide an open end wrench in which the wrench may be utilized for ratcheting eight different sized hexagonal members, the wrench having no moving parts.
Another object of this invention is to provide a ratcheting wrench of the box end type including means wherein a hexagonal member may be ratcheted in either direction without removing engagement of the box end wrench from the member being rotated.
These general objects, as well as other and more specific objects of the invention will be fulfilled in the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.